By Staff

June 15th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Art Gallery of Burlington announces a new Board.

Chair: Natasa Veljovic

Vice Chair: Dan Lawrie

Treasurer & Secretary: John Arnold

Past Chair: Susan Busby

Continuing Directors:

Councillor Lisa Kearns

Diana Tuszynski

Garratt Wootton

Newly appointed Directors:

Vickram Agarwal

Scott Cooper

Tracy King

Juliette Prouse

Gennile Thomas Smith

Photographs of the Board were not available.

Chair: Natasa Veljovic  is a strategic leader with over 30 years of experience. In 2019, Natasa retired from her role as President & CEO of Woodstock General Hospital. In her tenure, Natasa brought the vision of a new hospital, and worked strategically with the Hospital Board and multiple levels of government through an eleven-year journey of building and transitioning into a state-of-the-art site. Over the past decade, Natasa served on the Woodstock Art Gallery Advisory Board and as Chair of the Fanshawe College Foundation Board.

Vice Chair: Dan Lawrie is the founder and Chairman of Lawrie Insurance Group Inc., a multi-disciplined insurance and risk management firm, that ranks in the top 5% of insurance brokerages in Canada.

Treasurer & Secretary: John Arnold has been an entrepreneur for over 50 years. He was a founder of what became one of the largest wood pressure-treating companies in Eastern Canada as well as serving as a director and senior officer of numerous mining and exploration companies in Canada and abroad.

Past Chair: Susan Busby is a retired Educator who worked as a teacher and Elementary School Principal for the Halton District School Board for 30 years. She has an undergraduate degree in History and a Masters of Education. In her retirement, she has volunteered extensively within the community. She was Chair of the Board at Nelson Youth Centres, Chair of the Board at the Halton Learning Foundation, Chair of the Board of Governors at Joseph Brant Hospital, and Chair of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation Board.

Directors:

Vickram Agarwal – Vickram is a digital and technology entrepreneur, serving on several Advisory Boards and mentors start-ups across the EMEA region.

Scott Cooper – Scott has been practicing law for over a decade and is currently a Deputy General Counsel at Interac Corp., where he leads a team of talented lawyers supporting several Interac products and business units.

Councillor Lisa Kearns enters the second year of her first term on the board and is an elected Halton Region & City of Burlington Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement & Partnerships. Experienced in national management positions in healthcare, manufacturing, and advertising, Lisa is known for common sense solutions that deliver powerful results throughout her career.

Tracy King held a successful career in finance and now focuses on her family and volunteering. Tracy has years of board experience having served four terms on the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation and is the chair of this year’s Revel: The Ultimate Art Bash signature fundraising event.

Juliette Prouse is the Director of Finance and Administration in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. She is a CPA with an undergraduate business degree and has occupied senior leadership positions in not-for-profit organizations in the child welfare and education sectors.

Gennile Thomas Smith  is the founder and executive director of Halton Black Voices and leads efforts to combat anti-Black racism and create safe spaces for Black individuals in the region.

Diana Tuszynski enters the third year of her first term on the board and is the President of The Benefits Edge Insurance Services Limited, a boutique Benefits and Insurance consulting firm working with employers to maximize their benefits budget through a variety of innovative benefits solutions.

Garratt Wootton enters the third year of his first term on the board and is an entrepreneur, and business executive specializing in communication and technology enabled process automation. Garratt brings a human-centric approach to everything he does. He is quick to understand pain points and excels at finding unique human-experience-based solutions to the some of the trickiest situations.

By Staff

April 13^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Yet another government plan to get housing built.

A bill was introduced to the Legislature on Wednesday designed to streamline government permit processes, make it easier for universities to build student residences, improve transparency around the controversial minister’s zoning orders (MZO) framework and eliminate parking requirements for higher density housing developments near transit stations to lower costs.

“ These measures recognize the struggles that our municipal partners have faced in building homes and are targeted at removing those obstacles”, said Housing Minister Paul Calandra.

The Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act enshrines — and prioritizing new infrastructure such as roads and waterworks for ready-to-go projects — and further streamline approvals for garden suites, laneway housing and basement apartments.

The Tories will not mandate as-of-right four-plexes across Ontario despite calls from Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie to do so in the name of “gentle density.”

Crombie blasted the legislation as “a random grab-bag of small-ball measures the Ford government could have done years ago if they were serious about building housing.”

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said it was “a weak bill from a government lacking in the bold vision and leadership that is needed in order to do what they should have done years ago: build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031.”

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said “with this bill, the Ford government is effectively admitting defeat after five years of housing failures.”

The Act includes amendments to the provincial building code to promote mass timber buildings, which are faster and cheaper to build, and modernize Ontario’s standards to be more in line with national construction codes. Currently, only 12-storey “advanced wood” buildings are permitted, but that will change to 18 floors.

The province will also allow cities to revamp development charges on condos and many other projects by eliminating a previous five-year phase-in of hikes; as  of June 1 there will finally be exemptions from or discounts of such fees for builders of affordable housing. These are designed to spur construction and increase revenues to municipalities that had been concerned about previous Tory moves.

Calandra told reporters the government has “listened to our municipal partners” and will ensure civic revenues aren’t affected by the changes to development charges.

In what is seen as a bid to curb NIMBYism, the government will be “limiting third-party appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal” to get quicker approvals for housing. Some 67,000 housing units, which began being built between 2021 and last year, are being thwarted by third-party appeals of official plans and rezoning.

The proposed changes would also allow proponents to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal when a municipality refuses an application or does not make a decision on a settlement boundary change outside the Greenbelt area, ensuring that decisions over boundary changes are subject to an independent and neutral process.

Ontario’s 23 publicly funded universities will join colleges in being exempted from Planning Act restrictions when it comes to building student housing on campuses and on land they own elsewhere. All universities and colleges will be required to improve accessibility to student housing.

The legislation arrives on the six-month anniversary of the RCMP launching a criminal probe of the $8.28-building Greenbelt land swap scandal comes as the Tories risk missing their target of 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

The government needs to build an average of 150,000 new homes annually to meet its goal.  110,000 were built in 2023,  73%  of what’s needed each year.

 

 

By James Portside

March 28th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The province of Ontario released the 2023 Sunshine list; the document that sets all those who earned more than $100,000 in the year 2023.

In 2023 Burlington’s operating budget was $314.3 million dollars and the capital budget was $72.6 million dollars.  Salaries come out of the Operating budget

The number of people working for the city and making over $100,000 per year increased by 16%. The 2022 list contained 393 names, the 2023 list contains 457 names.

Of the roughly 850 full time employees 458 people now earn over $100,000 per year. I’m wondering what the politically correct version of “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” is.

The 2023 list includes nine people with the job title “Transit Operator”, four people with the job title “Mechanic” and one person with the title “Officer, Animal Control”.

Of the people we elect to manage our tax dollars the one person with the job title “Mayor” earned $202,712.10 after a 5.79% raise and the six people with the job title “Councillor” each had an average income of $119,802.70 after a 6.28% increase.

A total of 84 people, outside of the fire department, received raises of more than 10%. Only 16 of these people had changes in their job titles.

Our city manager, who has resigned, received a 9.67% increase.

In first place is Emilie Cote as our “Director, Recreation, Community and Culture”. Emilie received a 37.34% salary increase in 2023.

In second place is Kevin Schustyk. Kevin is our “Senior Traffic Signal Technician” and received a 31.77% increase. Someone should tell Kevin that the traffic lights have yet to be  synchronized.

Rounding out the trifecta is Brynn Nheiley with a 28.58% increase bringing Brynn’s salary to $215,826.  (More than the Mayor) As reported in the Burlington Gazette, Brynn recently left the city and, assuming there is a severance package, the package will be based on the $215,826 salary. Brynn left the City of Hamilton and started working for Burlington in March of 2019. Brynn first appears on the sunshine list in 2020 meaning her salary moved from less than $100,000 in 2019 to $215,826 in 2023.

Meanwhile the number of taxpayers unable to pay their property taxes increase to 2.9% in 2023. The highest level in the past six years.

Obviously, all is well at city hall. After pushing through a 15.5% increase to property tax revenue in 2023, with almost no population growth staff have been richly rewarded.  Our mayor likes to call the 15.5% increase a 7.5% impact on our total tax bill but the reality is the city receives 15.5% more revenue from taxpayers in 2023 and, based on the sunshine list, they know how to spend the money.

Jim has lived in Burlington for much of his life and has watched the city change and grow over the years. With over 1,000 people working for the city there is a lot going on. As a now retired, successful business owner, Jim is interested in exploring and sharing some of what our local government is working on. You can reach Jim by emailing Jim.Portside@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Staff

February 21, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Metrolinx wants you to remember the One Fare Program that will launch next Monday, February 26, 2024!

The province – in collaboration with Metrolinx and local transit agencies – is working to connect communities across the region. Through Ontario’s One Fare Program, transferring from one transit system to another will be simpler, more convenient and more affordable.

Ontario’s One Fare Program allows transit users to only pay once when travelling between the TTC, GO Transit and participating transit systems like Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit.  

When travelling between systems, the discount will be applied automatically when you tap a PRESTO card, credit or debit, or PRESTO in Google Wallet to connect between GO Transit, TTC and all participating transit systems.

What you need to know:

• Free transfers: For trips between the TTC and GO Transit, your TTC fare is free, regardless of travel direction and the cost of your TTC trip is discounted from your overall trip cost. For trips between the TTC and other local transit systems, the second fare of your trip is free.
• Transfer flexibility: Transfers are valid for two hours when trips start on local transit and three hours when you tap on a GO bus or train.
• Proof of payment: The payment method you use to tap is your proof of payment. Customers paying with PRESTO in Google Wallet, credit or debit card, must tap on and off with the same card.

For an adult who commutes five days a week, the One Fare Program could save them up to$1,600 per year.

You can learn more about Ontario’s One Fare Program here and watch a step by step video on our YouTube channel.

 

 

 

 

By Pepper Parr

February 11^th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

This is a complex story:  While it about a developers attempt to build two towers right beside Spencer Smith Park where they will dominate the view to the lake.  Spencer Smith Park is YOUR park.  Fight to keep it.

In a re-submission letter dated February 6, 2024, Bousfields Inc. submitted a revised submission before the Ontario Land Tribunal (“OLT”) for Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment Applications for the Subject Site.

Bousfield are the planning consultants for Burlington 2020 Lakeshore Inc. (the “Owner”) with respect to their lands located at 2020 Lakeshore Road in Burlington.

Based on what we know about this application it was turned down by the city because it did not fit within the boundaries of the Urban Growth Centre of the city.

Vrancorp appealed the city decision.  In email communication between Bousfield, the Vrancorp planner and the OLT case anger the Bousfield people said: “While our client remains hopeful for a settlement with all Parties, you are correct that the City has not yet settled with our client.”

In an earlier email Goodman, lawyers for Vrancorp set out why the re-submission documents were being circulated: “The drawings are marked “issued for settlement”.  So there is no confusion on the part of any party (or the Tribunal), no settlement has been achieved with the City.

The original applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit the redevelopment of the Subject Site with a high-rise, mixed- use development consisting of two towers with heights of 30 and 35 storeys, atop a 5- to 6-storey podium,

The Applications were deemed incomplete on November 23, 2021. Additional materials were provided to the City on December 17, 2021, and the Applications were deemed complete as of this date.

The problem for Vrancorp was that between the 23^rd of November and the 17^th of December 2031, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing agreed with an application to move the boundary of the Urban Growth Center further north which put the Vrancorp development outside the Urban Boundary and therefor no longer complying with the the Official Plan.

On April 12, 2022, a Recommendation Report was considered by the City’s Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Committee. The report recommended refusal of the Applications, and City Council adopted these recommendations. On April 27, 2022, the Applicant filed an appeal to the OLT with regards to City Council’s decision. The OLT has scheduled a 15-day hearing scheduled to commence on April 29, 2024.

Bousfield has set out a number of changes to the design of the site, many of which are welcoming – the design is not the issue.

The issue is that the application is no longer within the Urban Growth Boundary (an issue that Bousfield doesn’t mention in their application for reconsideration, and therefore does not comply withthe Official Plan.)

The following is material submitted to the Ontario Land Tribunal by Bousfield which they want to have included in the hearing that takes place on April 29^th and is expected to last 15 days.

Bousfield, in the re-submission has compared the revised plans to the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study, a study required pursuant to Policy 5.5.9.2(1) of the in-force Burlington Official Plan (1997) and Section 12.1.4(2) of the City of Burlington’s New Official Plan (2020).

The Owner (Vrancorp) had initially provided the City with funds to initiate this study, which began in early 2017, and participated in a series of workshops and public meetings to determine a preferred concept for the Subject Site.

The City paused work on this study, and only resumed works in late 2021. The City’s retained consultant completed the Waterfront Hotel Planning Study and the final report (dated March 23, 2022), which included a recommended preferred concept, was presented to the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee and Council in April 2022. City Council voted to receive the planning study for informational purposes at its meeting on April 12, 2022. The Owner has made efforts to incorporate key recommendations from the study with respect to the location and articulation of the building and the public realm.

Based on the foregoing, revisions have been made to the architectural plans, including:

• 

  Red outline defines the Vrancorp property. Entrance to the site, originally off Elizabeth Street is proposed to be from the south west point of the property, reached by Elizabeth Street.

  Parkland dedication is now proposed, at the northwest corner (250 m²), the southerly edge adjacent to Spencer Smith Park (415 m²), and the southeast corner (55 m²), whereas previously no parkland dedication was contemplated;

• The height of the podium of both towers has been reduced from 5-6 storeys (19.2 metres) to 3-4 storeys (12.55 metres);
• The East Tower massing has been revised to incorporate a 10-storey base building element, including the podium, which transitions through stepping on Levels 11, 12 and 13 to the tower;
• The West Tower has shifted further east, resulting in an increase of the minimum distance between the tower and the west lot line from 0 metres to 17.6 metres;
• The East Tower has shifted further south by approximately 5 metres;
• As a result of this shifting, the two towers are separated by a distance of 35.4 metres;
• The hotel component has been relocated to floors 4-8 within the East Tower;
• The office area in the West Tower has decreased from 4,348 m² to 1,488 m², with the balance now occupied by residential units;
• The skybridge between the two towers has been removed;
• 

  The bridge between the two towers is no longer part of the development. The very steep from from the street level to the park area south of the towers now has some open area that lessens the drop.

  The linear space between the two towers has been redesigned to provide a mid- block connection with no atrium space above, and has been revised to include more patio space for commercial tenants;

• The underground parking level has been modified so that there is no stratification below the parkland to be conveyed;
• Parking access and loading for the East Tower has been re-oriented to the south so there is no longer a left turn onto Elizabeth Street; and
• The ground floors of each tower have been reconfigured, with updates including consolidation of the back-of-house uses and the reorientation of the lobby areas.

There have been no changes to the building height. As a result of the changes, the total gross floor area has decreased from 54,928 m² to 49,203m², resulting in a reduction in density from 7.20 FAR to 6.45 FAR. Based on the reorganization of the building, the number of dwelling units has increased from 579 units to 594 units. A full update of the relevant statistics is included in Table 1 below.

Additional addenda to the technical reports filed with the original submission may also be circulated at a later date, as required.

“We trust the foregoing is satisfactory for your purposes. Should you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.”

One would hope that the lawyers representing the city are on top of what has taken place since the application was first filed and the issue when the application was taken to the OLT.

Goodman is a formidable law firm and their lead counsel on the file, David Bronskil, is seen as one of the best there is at OLT hearings.

The City has a strong case – Vrancorp has a very smart lawyer but the lawyers Burlington has hired did catch the very expensive mistake Bousfield made in not getting supporting document in on time to have their application “made”.

Related news stories:

The word “made” was a critical part of the city’s argument

Waterfront: Part of the torturous route to get to where we are today

Minister approves moving Urban Growth Centre north to Caroline.

By Pepper Parr

January 29th, 2024

BURLINGTON, ON

 

An update on the washrooms in the John Street Transit Terminal.

There will be no public washrooms.

Here is what we got from City Communications earlier today:

The washrooms in the John Street Burlington Transit Bus Terminal were closed to the public during the COVID pandemic.  The facilities will continue to be for staff use only to ensure transit staff are able to take their health breaks and not impact transit service, in a safe and clean facility.

Public washrooms are available nearby in Sims Square, 390 Brant St., main floor (170 metres away) and Burlington City Hall, 426 Brant St., lobby (300 metres away).

Something isn’t quite right here.

There were two public washrooms before Covid.

When Covid changed the way we lived, the city made one of the two washrooms a Unisex washroom and one for Staff only.

That seemed reasonable

When Covid was seen as much less the threat it once was both washrooms were changed to Staff Only. and a plastic door with barrier graphics put in place.

The Gazette contacted the City Communications department and learned that the current status: Both washrooms would be for Staff only when there are just two people working at the transit station.

We kept having to get back to the Communications department.

In a recent survey on how people felt about the services the city provides it became clear that Burlington is a car centric city.

For people who have to use public transit who need to use a public washroom – tough luck.

The Director of Transit operations is reported to be holding a meeting at St. Luke’s Anglican Church on on Wednesday.

 

 

By Pepper Parr

December 29^th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

They are back at it on the 8^th of January.

City Council will be sitting for the most part as a Committee of the Whole with the Mayor in the Chair.

It isn’t all that clear as to how the Committee will handle what used to be done by the three Standing Committees that were in place.

It looks as if the Committee of the Whole will hear from the Chairs of the former Standing Committees – and sort of morph into a Standing Committee that is rolling Staff reports up to the  Committee of the Whole.

Question then is – what will a City Council meeting do?

Will the mayor use her Strong Mayor powers and approve what was done at Committee of the Whole?

This new process will do nothing to encourage people to delegate – who will they be appearing before.

Again – something from the Mayor or an individual Council member would be useful.

Sound confusing?  It is – and there hasn’t been a word, not a single word from any of the former chairs of those Standing Committees is as to how this is going to work out.

What we do know is that the Committee of the Whole will meet for two days – January 8^th and 9^th.  They have cut the meetings down to two days each cycle.  I suspect they will have difficulty with that but I think we are going to have to wait and see how it works out is as we get into the New Year.

Not a word from the Mayor – so far she hasn’t made a year end statement, which is unusual for her.

There hasn’t been anything from the City Communications department – also unusual given that they recently appointed Oanh Kasperski as the new Director of Corporate Communications and Engagement.  She started her job on December 11^th.  No word yet from her.

This Council did not cover itself with is as much is as a fig leaf in 2023.  The last meeting of Council early in December dismal – I’ve never seen such a glum looking group of people in the 12 years I have been cover Burlington’s City Council.

Under the new legislation, O. Reg 180/23 as of July 1, 2023, the Mayor’s powers include:

• Appoint and dismiss the City Manager as well as the head of any division or the head of any other part of the organizational structure (except statutory municipal officers i.e. City Clerk or Deputy, Treasurer or Deputy, Chief Building Officer and Fire Chief); *
• Determining the organization structure of the City; *
• Create committees of Council, assign their functions, and appoint the Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees of Council; *
• Propose the City’s budget subject to Council amendments, a Mayoral veto, and a Council override process;
• Submit matters for Council’s consideration, or veto by-laws, if the Mayor believes it will advance a prescribed Provincial Priority; and
• Direct City staff in writing.

Decision # 7  made on 31^st day of October 2023.

Under Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, which amended the
Municipal Act, 2001,
Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne
Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, herby dissolve the following standing
committees as prescribed in the City’s Procedure By-law no. 31 -2021, as amended:
• Committee of the Whole
• Community Planning , Regulation & Mobility Committee
• Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee
• Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability Committee; and
Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne
Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, hereby establish a Committee of the Whole
and Budget Committee with functions assigned as follows:

Committee of the Whole
I. Responsibilities
The Committee of the Whole shall be responsible for considering all matters that
do not properly fall under the jurisdiction of any other existing Standing
Committees. The Committee of the Whole agendas are divided into the following
sections, with a Chair and Vice Chair assigned to each section:
Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility
The Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility section will include matters
relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of Community Planning, Regulation and
Mobility including; Community Planning, Building, By-law Compliance,
Transit, and Transportation departments;
b) Public hearings pursuant to the Planning Act, RSO 1990, c. P.13, as
amended;
c) Matters arising from the following boards and advisory committees:
• Aldershot BIA
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce
• Burlington Downtown Business Association
• Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC)
• Committee of Adjustment
• Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee
• Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee (ITAC)
• Burlington Cycling Advisory Committee
• Burlington Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee (BARAAC)
• Downtown Parking Advisory Committee
• Property Standards Committee
Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services
The Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services section will include
matters relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of the Environment, Infrastructure and
Community Services including; Engineering Services, Recreation,
Community and Culture, Roads, Parks & Forestry, and Fire, Assets and
Sustainability departments;

b) Matters arising from the following boards, committees and advisory
committees:
• Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee (BMC)
• Burlington Sustainable Development Committee (SOC)
• Art Gallery of Burlington Board (AGB)
• Burlington Mundialization Committee
• Burlington Museums Board
• Burlington Performing Arts Centre
• Burlington Public Library Board (BPL)
• Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee {BSAC)
• Tourism Burlington

Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability
The Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability section will include
matters relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of the City Manager’s Office, Office of the
City Clerk, Corporate Communications and Engagement, Strategy, Risk
and Accountability, Customer Experience, Finance, Human Resources,
Burlington Digital Services, and Corporate Legal Services departments;
b) All public meetings under the Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997,
c. 27;
c) Burlington Strategic Plan and Vision to Focus workplan;
d) Matters arising from the following board and advisory committee:
• Burlington Hydro Electric Inc. (SHEi)
• Burlington lnclusivity Advisory Committee (BIAC)

II. Composition
The Committee of the Whole shall be comprised of all members of Council.

Ill. Reporting
The Committee of the Whole reports directly to Council.

Budget Committee

I. Responsibilities
The Budget Committee is responsible for hearing public presentations, receiving
financial reports from staff, and providing advice to the Mayor on the operating
and capital budgets; and making recommendations to Council on any operating
or capital budgets in which the Mayor has a pecuniary interest.

II. Composition
The Budget Committee shall be comprised of all members of Council.
Ill. Reporting
The Budget Committee reports directly to Council.
Dated at Burlington, this 31st day of October 2023.
Original Signed by
Mayor Meed Ward

Decision # 8 ,  31^st day of October 2023.

References: MO-03-22 – Appointments to standing committees, boards , committees, agencies and Deputy Mayors , December 13, 2022 *with changes

CL–18–23 – Standing Committee Structure Options, October 17, 2023

Mayoral Decision 07-23 – To establish a Committee of the Whole and Budget Committee

Under Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, which amended the

Municipal Act, 2001 (the Act); and

Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, hereby appoint the following Councillors as rotating chairs of Committee of the Whole and Budget Committee for remainder of the 2022-2026 Term of Council as established by report MO-03-22: ** Chair changes are bolded, they align the Deputy Mayor of Strategy and Budgets portfolio to the Chair of Budget, with subsequent position changes to ensure equity.

Committee of the Whole

The Mayor shall preside as the Chair for Committee of the Whole for all agenda sections, with rotating Councillors appointed as section chairs and section vice chairs for Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services and Corporate Services, Strategy , Risk & Accountability regular items.

Committee of the Whole – Community Planning Regulation & Mobility Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Shawna Stolte	Lisa Kearns
2025	Lisa Kearns	Kelvin Galbraith
2026	Kelvin Galbraith	Rory Nisan

 

Committee of the Whole – Environment Infrastructure & Community Services Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Lisa Kearns	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Kelvin Galbraith	Shawna Stolte
2026	Shawna Stolte	Kelvin Galbraith

Committee of the Whole – Corporate Services Strategy Risk & Accountability Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Rory Nisan	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Kelvin Galbraith	Paul Sharman
2026	Rory Nisan	Lisa Kearns

 

Budget Committee
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Paul Sharman	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Paul Sharman	Rory Nisan
2026	Paul Sharman	Shawna Stolte

 Dated at Burlington, this 31^st day of October 2023.

Original Signed by

Mayor Meed Ward

By Pepper Parr

December 14^th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The City has released the 2024 city meeting calendar. New in 2024, is the Committee of the Whole standing committee, that considers items from every department, and the introduction of the Pipeline to Permit standing committee.

This new committee will focus on tracking growth, issues, and continuous improvement opportunities for the development approval process within the City of Burlington.

The Committee of the Whole was established through Mayoral Decision 07-2023. This was the Mayor using the Strong Mayor powers she was given July 1^st.  To date she has made 13 decisions.

It will replace the existing Standing Committees

Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability (CSSRA),

Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility (CPRM) and

Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services (EICS).

This new structure will make meetings more flexible and efficient by allowing the standing committee to transition directly to the next item of city business. It also creates a shorter committee week with fewer meetings.

City Manager Tim Commisso didn’t quite see it that way

Schedule highlights

During committee weeks each month:

Committee of the Whole committee meetings will take place on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Any remaining items will be considered on Tuesdays, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Pipeline to Permit committee meetings will take place on Thursdays, starting at 9:30 a.m.

City Council meetings will take place on Tuesdays, the week following the committee meetings, starting at 9:30 a.m.

 None of the meetings are scheduled for the evening when it is more convenient for the public.

The city meeting calendar is available online at burlington.ca/meetings.

The agendas for all committee meetings will continue to be published on the City’s website 10 days before the meeting date. Council agendas are published online the Friday before the meeting.

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward puts her own spin on why the change.  “Our new, more predictable schedule not only provides clarity and consistency for those following City Council and committee meetings, but also actively encourages public participation in our local government. By streamlining access to crucial information through our new committee structure, we are making it easier for residents to stay informed about the decisions shaping our community.

“The addition of the Committee of the Whole and the Pipeline to Permit standing committees underscores our commitment to continuous improvement, and ensures the development approval process aligns with the needs and aspirations of our growing community.”

Samantha Yew, Deputy City Clerk (who seems to be carrying the Clerk’s work load – no one seems to know just where the Kevin Arjoon, City Clerk is.  Communications tells us that he is still on the payroll.)

“Having a fixed, predictable meeting schedule provides clarity and consistency for everyone who is interested in following the business of City Council. Understanding when Council will convene and when decision making is taking place also helps remove some barriers for the public to participate in their local government.”

No word on who will Chair the meetings, in the past Councillor Bentivegna served as Chair.  Will that train wreck be avoided?

By Pepper

November 18th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

The following motions were submitted by Ward 4 Councillor Shawna Stolte as amendments to the Mayor’s Budget.

Motion for Council to Consider:

Add the Data Engineer and Solicitor positions under the Burlington Digital Services (2024-030) with a total value of $329,196 to the 2024 Budget.

Reason:

These positions are the most critical for the Burlington Digital Services team at this time.

Approved as per form by the City Clerk,

Reviewed by the City Manager – In accordance with the Code of Good Governance, Council-Staff Relations Policy and an assessment of the internal capacity within the City to complete the work based on a specific target date (quarter/year).

Comments:

City Clerk:  none

City Manager:  none

Motion for Council to Consider:

Add 2 additional Firefighter positions (for a total of 4) for Station #8 (2024-014) with a total additional cost of $301,419 to the 2024 Budget.

Reason:

These positions are the critical for the Burlington Fire Department at this time.

Approved as per form by the City Clerk,

Reviewed by the City Manager – In accordance with the Code of Good Governance, Council-Staff Relations Policy and an assessment of the internal capacity within the City to complete the work based on a specific target date (quarter/year).

Comments:

City Clerk:  none

City Manager: none

Motion for Council to Consider:

Increase the provision to the Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund by a further $4,500,000 in the 2024 Budget.

Reason:

Land is a strategic and valuable asset to the city that is leveraged and planned for based on existing and future Council and community expectations.

As the City continues to grow, and expand levels of service, land is the enabler to enhancing community benefit, expanding city operations and effectively managing community growth and development opportunities.

We are in a Housing Crisis in Burlington with residents unable to afford adequate housing.

An integral part of the success of the Attainable Housing Strategy is the commitment to make strategic land acquisitions and work with community partners to create more attainable housing options.

The Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund relies on the operating budget to replenish the reserve fund.

The existing uncommitted June 30 balance in this reserve fund is $1,427,218.00 The provision to the reserve fund for 2024 is $370,000.

This funding is pivotal in contributing to future strategic land purchases as it is the city’s primary reserve fund to plan for strategic land acquisitions.

Land purchases require large upfront investment, and this reserve fund does not have the capacity to handle large one-time cash transactions. An increased annual provision will make a considerable difference in building the City’s only land acquisition (not related to parks) reserve fund.

The guiding principles of our long-term financial plan of, responsible debt management, and efficient use of reserve and reserve funds have always been maintained in developing creative, and effective financing strategies that have not put undue pressure on our capital or operating budget or our debt capacity.

This increased provision to the Strategic Land Acquisition Reserve Fund will match the existing commitment to the Asset Management Levy as well as allow for the funds allotted to the Multi-Year Community Investment Plan to be focused on delivering enhanced community benefits related to community, recreation and cultural facilities, site amenities to address projected community growth to year 2051 (including the provision of City services related to future development) as well as projects necessary to fulfill other vital Master Plans such as new fire halls and active transportation amenities.

Approved as per form by the City Clerk,

Reviewed by the City Manager – In accordance with the Code of Good Governance, Council-Staff Relations Policy and an assessment of the internal capacity within the City to complete the work based on a specific target date (quarter/year).

Comments:

City Clerk:none

City Manager:  none

 

Motion for Council to Consider:

Add the Application Analyst and Training Coordinator positions under the Enterprise Business Service Support (2024-031) with a total cost of $245,611 to the 2024 Budget.

Reason:

These positions are the most critical from a staff support basis to the Enterprise Business Service.

Approved as per form by the City Clerk,

Reviewed by the City Manager – In accordance with the Code of Good Governance, Council-Staff Relations Policy and an assessment of the internal capacity within the City to complete the work based on a specific target date (quarter/year).

Comments:

City Clerk:  none

City Manager: none

Motion for Council to Consider:

Add 5 positions (Transit Operations Supervisor, Transit Maintenance Supervisor, Urban Forestry Supervisor, Coordinator IT Contracts and one Traffic Operations Technician) under the Human Capital Investments initiative (2024-032) with a total cost of $604,184 to the 2024 Budget.

Reason:

These positions are the most critical regarding the Human Capital Investments Initiative.

Approved as per form by the City Clerk,

Reviewed by the City Manager – In accordance with the Code of Good Governance, Council-Staff Relations Policy and an assessment of the internal capacity within the City to complete the work based on a specific target date (quarter/year).

Comments:

City Clerk:  none

City Manager:  none